Memories are like stones, time and distance erode them like acid. Ugo Betti

Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. H.G. Wells

It is not worthwhile to try to keep history from repeating itself, for man's character will always make the preventing of the repetitions impossible. Mark Twain

January's new Moon is a partial solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partially obscuring Earth's view of the Sun. A partial solar eclipse occurs in the polar regions of the Earth when the center of the moon's shadow misses the earth.

Occurring on January 4, the partial eclipse will be visible near sunrise over most of Europe and northeastern Asia. It will end at sunset over Western Asia. It will be visible as a minor partial eclipse over Northern Africa and the Arabian peninsula. Greatest eclipse occurs at 08:50 UT in northern Sweden where the eclipse in the horizon will have a magnitude of 0.858. At that time, the axis of the Moon's shadow will pass a mere 510 km above Earth's surface (from Wikipedia's page on this eclipse - click here).

The Sabian Symbol for this (new Moon) solar eclipse is Capricorn 14: An Ancient Bas-Relief Carved In Granite Remains A Witness To A Long-Forgotten Culture.

My interpretation from my book The Sabian Oracle: 360 Degrees Of Wisdom:

Some things never fade. They stand as reminders of ancient eras, bringing messages, being ‘Witnesses’, from the past. They remind us of how life and civilization was in ‘Long-Forgotten Cultures’. Messages may be found in these reminders about the stability and the longevity of the foundation of your society, or possibly that of some other culture, however distant in time and space. It could be something that resonates with you or draws you. Spiritual messages may be coming out of the past (or out of time and space), perhaps speaking through ‘Granite’, concrete or things “written in stone”. This can be very enriching and rewarding as these things can be beautiful remnants of the past, reminders of how life used to be. However, they can also be attitudes, beliefs and self-defeating attitudes that have etched themselves into our very lives and are now difficult to erase. Therefore, sometimes we must be careful not to be looking back too much as we can lose the beauty and the reward inherent in the present and in the everyday things that are around us. We can feel stuck and frozen if we’re not able to move on in the life we live in the here and now. This can also apply to the rules of our culture or the common practices of an individual’s heritage, family history or even past life experiences. These can be an undertone to current realities and times.

Keywords: Anonymous immortality. Things written or carved in stone, or concrete. Permanent records. Clues from the past. Things that should be shaped and changed with the times. Pieces of art or sculpture. Things that belong in a museum. Inscriptions and carvings. Ancient civilizations and their relics. History. Hieroglyphics.

The Caution: Limitations that don’t allow for changes. Old and outworn situations. Things that can not, or will not, ever change. Memories frozen in time. Feeling stuck, like no growth is possible. Frigidity of feelings.

(With all the latest hoop-la with Wikileaks and Sweden, it's interesting that the eclipse will have its greatest magnitude. "Things written in stone", very interesting. It's also interesting that this eclipse follows the new Moon in December on Sagittarius 14: The Pyramids And The Sphinx... monuments to decaying cultures? Things in the past that should be forgotten - or remembered... click here for the blog I wrote on it).

Saturn, the ruler of this Capricorn solar eclipse is squaring the Sun and Moon. It's on Libra 17: A Retired Sea Captain Watches Ships Entering And Leaving The Harbor.

Keywords: Memories and peaceful contemplation. Disconnection from the past. Concentrating on more immediate circumstances. Fatigue and the need for rest. Being a spectator rather than a participant. Being part of an audience. Voyeurism. Turning to domestic pursuits. Writing one’s memoirs. Nostalgia. Safe ports or harbors. Retiring from public life.

The Caution: A cop-out, escaping from reality. Relying on past experiences. A need to defend one’s shoreline. Losing faith in life. Staring at lost opportunities and times gone by. Not wanting to contributing any more. Losing interest in the struggle. Disillusionment. Frustration. Boredom.

Give wind and tide a chance to change. Richard E. Byrd

It seems that some people need to take some time out to reflect, especially after the rigorous year that 2010 was for many. Saturn has just spent quite a few days on Libra 16: After The Storms Of Winter, A Boat Landing Stands In Need Of Reconstruction. This speaks of the need for emotional and other repairs, finding the tools to build a new life, having faith that the worst is over and recovery can begin, calling in the experts, taking time to put the pieces back together, the fragility of man's world in the face of nature, returning to work after being derailed. It can be: making excuses rather than fixing things, feeling emotionally swamped and powerless, being torn apart, leaving things a mess, feeling shot to pieces, things wearing down to the point of collapse, having nowhere to dock, arguments and violence.

A lot of people ask me if I were shipwrecked, and could only have one book, what would it be? I always say 'How to Build a Boat'. Steven Wright

Saturn will move onto Libra 18 next week and will remain stationery on that degree for about an entire month. The Sabian Symbol for Libra 18 is Two Men Placed Under Arrest Give An Accounting For Their Acts Before The Tribunal Of Society. Relationships can really get a battering with Saturn on this degree. In fact, this run of Sabian Symbols is

Keywords: Having to plead one’s case. The need for “legal help”. Unacceptable principles. Blowing the whistle. Pointing at others to get off charges. People unable to relate. The “Romeo and Juliet” story. Feeling caught out. Restrictions. Karma to be worked out. Being framed. Circumstances out of control. People in handcuffs. Identification parades. Police. The law. Lawyers. Judges. Juries. Tribunals. Police states. Breaking laws.

The Caution: Refusing to conform. Sabotage of relationship values. Feeling stuck, unable to move. Staying in relationships when one should go. Deadening emotions. Shutting off to cope. Not having one’s point of view heard. Losing one’s authority. Being bound karmically. Being tied up and limited.

Two Men Placed Under Arrest is the degree of Mars in the Wikileak's chart - I think that now we're emerging into the new year there will be a lot more about Julian Assange and Wikileaks in the media. The progressed Sun of Wikileaks is Libra 16: After The Storms Of Winter, A Boat Landing Stands In Need Of Reconstruction (their foundations washed away? no where to moor? - washing away other's foundations?).

This current run of Saturn through Libra 16 to Libra 19 are seriously difficult Sabian Symbols, and there's the need for taking things easy, being vigilant while also taking a break from any recent trials or difficulties.

It's not all doom and gloom, though. There are breakthroughs in understanding, possibilities and opportunities and wonderful new beginnings - particularly if you strike out for the new, the innovative, and, possibly, the unusual. This is because Venus is in a lovely trine aspect with Jupiter and Uranus.

Venus is on Scorpio 27: A Military Band Marches Noisily On Through The City Streets. This speaks of demanding attention, trumpeting achievements, the need to be seen or heard (or both), celebrations of past battles, advertising, marching and drills, precision movements, drums and trumpets, spit and polish. It can be a lot of volume that can be pompous, banging one's drum, blaring announcements, warnings to others to follow orders or be complicit, big ego displays, propaganda, threats to peace, momentary disruptions. It can be "taking it to the street".

Very soon after the eclipse, Venus moves onto the next degree - Scorpio 28: The King Of The Fairies Approaching His Domain. This speaks of finding a place, feeling comfortable, taking command of life, leadership and its responsibilities, being welcomed, returning home, web domains, finding one's true vocation or purpose. It can be someone acting like a "hot shot" or that others will hang onto their every word ("the king of the fairies").

Exactly trining this degree of Venus is Jupiter and Uranus on Pisces 28: A Fertile Garden Under The Full Moon. This is a lovely degree that promises fruition and the rewards from work (or the efforts that one has put into something).

Keywords: Fullness and fertility. Peak of energy and experiences. Brilliantly active unconscious life. Cycles. Waiting for the right time to approach or handle a situation. The effect of the moon. Astrology and predictive practices. The time for harvesting the rewards of hard work. Nature sprites. Vegetables, herbs and nature's bounty.

The Caution: Jealous protection of possessions. Not being able to make one’s mind up because of the number of possibilities. Missed opportunities. Difficulty shutting down the mind. Emotions that get out of hand.

Venus trining Jupiter and Uranus shows that new possibilities are emerging. It's like the new year is beginning in earnest with this new Moon.

Mars may be asking us to let go, give up or quit some situation that is a no-win. Mars is on Capricorn 22: A General Accepting Defeat Gracefully. This speaks of being a good loser, being prepared to start again, nobility of character, letting go of the "charge" around anger, surrendering, knowing when to let go. The trick with this degree is not to keep fighting when it's of no use, not to being a sore loser, not to give up on the good things in life.

Mercury may be highlighting where we're not happy with the outcomes or rewards of life at the moment. Perhaps we need to put more effort into believing in ourselves, seeing the gifts, realizing the good things and leaving aside the more difficult. The challenge here is to believe in what you're doing, what you have to offer, what you are doing with your life.

The Sabian Symbol for Mercury is Sagittarius 22: A Chinese Laundry. Don't lock yourself away, don't allow other (or yourself) to impose restrictive expectations, don't always be picking up or cleaning up after others, search for your individual talents and possibilities. This is especially so as Mercury moves quickly onto Sagittarius 23: A Group of Immigrants Fulfilling The Requirements For Entering A New Country. Time to move on? Time to have a reorientation of selfhood? Perhaps you're looking for a new field of study, a new field of opportunity.

Time to let go of the past? Time to dispel feelings of alienation and loneliness?

Memories are like stones, time and distance erode them like acid. Ugo Betti

Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. H.G. Wells

It is not worthwhile to try to keep history from repeating itself, for man's character will always make the preventing of the repetitions impossible. Mark Twain

January's new Moon is a partial solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partially obscuring Earth's view of the Sun. A partial solar eclipse occurs in the polar regions of the Earth when the center of the moon's shadow misses the earth.

Occurring on January 4, the partial eclipse will be visible near sunrise over most of Europe and northeastern Asia. It will end at sunset over Western Asia. It will be visible as a minor partial eclipse over Northern Africa and the Arabian peninsula. Greatest eclipse occurs at 08:50 UT in northern Sweden where the eclipse in the horizon will have a magnitude of 0.858. At that time, the axis of the Moon's shadow will pass a mere 510 km above Earth's surface (from Wikipedia's page on this eclipse - click here).

The Sabian Symbol for this (new Moon) solar eclipse is Capricorn 14: An Ancient Bas-Relief Carved In Granite Remains A Witness To A Long-Forgotten Culture.

My interpretation from my book The Sabian Oracle: 360 Degrees Of Wisdom: